Juan Antonio Falcón Blasco

A European Defence Union Juan Antonio Falcón Blasco

The security environment in and around Europe has become more complex and threats have multiplied. The European Union wants to ensure security for its citizens in an unstable world. This approach is also a response to the demand by the majority of the European citizens, who want more security, stability and a coordinated European response to current threats. This is why all these new threats have put the idea of a European Defence Union on the agenda once again. The need for a strong European Union has never been perceived as acutely as it is today. None of the European Union Member States have the necessary resources to create a secure environment. And more and more, the citizens and the governments of Europe, on their side, increasingly realise that European security, too, can only be guaranteed through a collective effort. Also European partners around the world see European Union as an indispensable power to build a more cooperative world order. Based on its Common Security and Defence Policy, the European Union has a history as security provider through establishing civilian and military missions. Since 2003, when the first missions were launched under European flag, the European Union missions and operations are launched on several continents. This book does not want to be a theoretical reflection on the need for a joint defence of Europeans. On the contrary, it is an overview of the reality that is already the European defence, although there is undoubtedly still a lot to be done. Finally, we should mention that the contents of this book are based mainly on official documents issued by the institutions of the European Union.